Hopeful
by Stroppythroppy
Summary: Why did Jack take that job in washington? For those paying extra attention i havn't written all these stories in the past two days, just finishing them now and posting them.


**Summary: **What made jack decide to take the job in Washington?

A Sam and Jack story, I don't write any other… except maybe Daniel/Janet but only if it's attached to a Sam/Jack story.

**Hopeful**

Jack was walking down the halls of the SGC on his way to the commissary; he had finally admitted defeat after sitting in his office hearing his stomach calling for cake for several excruciating paperwork filled minutes.

He walked in to the commissary and several of the people that were sat having lunch stopped and turned to the colonel. Jack not too bothered or surprised by these looks just continued to walk to where the cake was waiting and grabbed a chair on the far side of the hall, hoping the distance from the rest of the commissary's occupants would mean no interruption and more peace.

His mind was dead, he was so tired. He had been there for three days straight with no sleep; the lack of sleep of course, had nothing to do with paperwork and more to do with forbidden dreams about a certain 2IC of his. He didn't care that the nurses were still watching. He couldn't be bothered glaring, he new it wouldn't stop them starring and would probably just cause more rumour's to start that the colonel was in a bad mood.

Jack had realised that the nurses had stopped staring at him and felt relieved for all of about four seconds before he realised they had only chosen a new victim to pray there gossip thirsty eyes on. Again not being surprised jack noticed that they were starring at the very 2IC he had been thinking about all night stood in the entrance.

He new why she was here and smiled to himself at the little things that made them alike. She was here for her daily fix of blue jello, and of course for her lunchtime coffee. His smile didn't go unnoticed by Sam and she felt a shiver go down her spine as she gave him one of her 1000-watt smiles that she truly reserved just for him.

'God I love that smile, NO BAD SAM, just grab some jello and go sit down he's, your C.O. For Crying Out Loud!'

She walked over to jacks table and took a seat across from him "Hi, sir"

"Hey carter"

"Here for your dose of cake?"

"Hey!" he pretended to be offended but she could tell he wasn't serious, his eyes were smiling. "I could go without it" he knew she didn't believe it for a second

"I'm sure you can"

"You're growing skills of sarcasm still need a little work but don't worry you'll get there" Sam gave a cheeky grin which only made his bigger "I bet I can go a week without cake"

"What are the odds" Jack looked up towards the ceiling as if he would find the answer conveniently written in big black writing "actually wait" she said with a mischievous smile "it doesn't matter, we can discuss this when you loose. To discuss it now would be a waste of time"

"Hey" Sam shrugged her shoulders and gave him another mischievous grin "you are way to confident, what makes you so sure ill loose?" she looked up from her jello and gave him a look that said are you kidding me' "ok so I eat quite a bit of cake, but I could give up if I wanted to its not like I'm addicted or anything"

"I'm sure you can"

"You're being sarcastic again aren't you?" she gave him a small nod and let out a little giggle " No giggling major" she stopped giggling and bowed her head down to hide her blush, she looked up to see jack glaring at someone. She followed his line of sight to see some very scared nurses sat on the far right of the hall.

"What is it sir? Did one of them get you with a needle?" she asked this only half joking.

"They were staring" he said it simply as if she was already supposed to know as to

What they were staring at and why he seemed to be so bothered about it. He saw the confused look she was giving him and gave her a cunning look whilst saying "they were staring at us this whole time, didn't you notice, it started the second you walked through the door."

Sam looked at him confused at first and then she was struck when a sudden realisation dawned on her and her features were consumed with a crimson shade of pink, she felt the urge to run and hide. Because despite the fact that they had never voiced there deepest emotions and feelings for one another, everyone except them selves seemed to see it as clear as if it were tattooed on their foreheads. They could see that they were in love. Whether it was stolen glances or momentary contact or a complete and utter willingness to die for the other it didn't matter because the regulations stood in their way and until one of them retired they could not be together and would continue to deny their feelings for one another until they caught a break', and everybody new about it.

Jack was quite amused by the shade of pink she turned and hid his smile as much as possible, before smiling at her in a way that said he understood and shared her embarrassment.

"Sir what lengths do you think we'd have to go to, to get the rumours to stop?"

At this question jack noticed they had both finished and grabbed both bowls placing them in the sink for the staff to clean as they both walked out of the commissary doors.

"Well the only way I see the rumours stopping is if the whole bass is destroyed… or when we retire" Jack paused for a second as he saw the worried look on her face. Did I just say that out loud?' "Carter this is like gossip home world, you really think the rumours are just going to stop on their own?"

"Excuse me sir" they both turned around towards the voice of an SF walking just behind them "sir you need to sign these papers, there from Dr Lee" Jack took the papers from the young SF and glanced over them after signing the papers he noticed the SF giving Carter a smile he recognised all to well.

"Here you go" Jack slammed the papers into the boys chest "oh and sergeant" he sneered, the cunning look returning "drop and give me fifty" the young man looked at him as if he thought he was joking, but the moment he saw the look in Colonel O'Neill's eyes he new he was far from joking "Sir may I ask why?"

Jack thought about it for a moment because you were eyeing carter you little-- he stopped himself before smoke came out his ears "No" he glanced at Carter to see if she was as dumbfounded as the about to be sweating SF.

(Several minutes later)

A very sweaty and out of breath SF clambered up of the floor "Sir?"

"Well that wasn't so hard now was it?"

"No Sir" the sergeant wheezed with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, he dragged his hand up to his forehead to salute his superior, before taking the papers and walking off in the direction of the commissary for a much-needed glass of water.

They made it half way down the hall before Carter gave in "Sir I have to ask, why did you make him do that?" she asked with an unfamiliar feeling of confusion.

"Well Carter I…" Jack paused for a moment wondering if he should tell her the truth "I just love being able to do that, it's a little harsh granted. But that was the reason I agreed to be general, so I could be the man remember."

Carter only nodded "ok sir" figuring out for her self the real reason.

Jack looked down at her, noticing the big grin from the corner of his eye "why are you smiling so much"

Sam considered making something up but figured it was only fair if she got to lye straight to his face too "oh… I just love to smile".

Jack gave her a smile that made her go weak at the knees, she couldn't speak, and she couldn't think, she could only admire his smile and give him one of her own in return.

"Jack"

Jack was shocked to say the least at the use of his given name coming from her lips, he had heard it thousands of times before, yet when she said it he stopped breathing and his heart pounded like it could burst out of his chest at any given moment. It was the best feeling in the world.

"What is it Jack? you look like you're about to have a heart attack?"

Jack couldn't answer he just stared in to her beautiful blue eyes; she had used his name again.

When Sam saw his eyes she stopped dead in her tracks realising what she had called him, she new what his eyes were saying, she could see in to his soul and she stared into his eyes trying as hard as she could to show him her soul while revelling in the ability to see into his. ………………………………………………………………………………………….

The same SF that had been condemned to fifty push up's in front of the very same major he had a crush on, was sat down at a table in the commissary gulping down a glass of water. He had just poured the last drop of liquid in to his mouth when a very strong hand gave him a friendly smack on the back that sent him into a fit of coughing.

"You alright Steve you look a little rough"

It was his friend Paul; he had met on his first day at Cheyenne Mountain. "Oh no everything is fine just had another little run in with Colonel O'Neill" he tried to down play it as much as possible trying as hard as he could to hide the fact he would really appreciate the earth to just open up and swallow him whole.

"What happened?" his friend gave him a look that he wasn't too surprised by this statement "What have you gone and done this time?"

"Nothing! I swear I just took him some papers that Dr Lee asked me to give him to sign and the next thing I know I'm on the floor doing push up's … and in front of Major carter I might add"

His friend looked at him like he had just heard the answer to all life's questions "You said Major Carter was with him"

"Yeah so what" his friend new very well how much he had liked her, ever since he first saw her on his first day at Cheyenne " look what does she have to do with any of this Except my complete and utter humiliation?"

"Oh just about everything. Didn't you notice anything a little strange about the general's behaviour"?

He replayed the incident in his mind "hmm let me think General O'Neill making me do something I don't particularly enjoy…nope nothing unusual there. Look I apparently still haven't got it so can you please explain already"

"Were you giving her dove eyes again, because that would do it, everyone knows that major carter is well off limits"?

"Off limits, what do you mean off limits, no-one told me, is she engaged or something?" his voice was reaching a girly screech, not the best thing you want to do when you just started as an SF at the most important facility on this planet.

"I thought someone would have told you already I'm sorry mate I didn't realise"

Steve was now more confused than he was before and now he had a headache to match, today wasn't going well " so why is she…" he cleared his throat to stop the screech "off limits? And what does it have to do with Colonel O'Neill hating me"

"Are you kidding me it's like an unwritten rule around here, everyone knows they're in love, I can't believe you didn't know"

"I have never felt so humiliated in…" Steve jumped up from the chair that was supporting him, waving his arms "this explains so much, I can't believe I never noticed" Steve was so overwhelmed that he had finally made sense of all this new information given to him that he hadn't yet noticed that now his hopes of Major carter ever noticing him were miniscule…I guess deep down he new all to well he didn't have a chance anyway.

Carter was (big surprise) sat in her lab thinking of the earlier events of the day.

They were just stood there, for almost ten minutes staring into each other's eyes and the only reason why they stopped then is because an SF called out to Jack because he needed to sign some more papers. She was delirious like she had just woken up from a coma. Jack had turned round to sign the evil papers and when he turned back again she had gone.

She hadn't known what to do, so she just left like she had wanted to do all those times when she was blushing or was about to burst into tears.

But really what was she supposed to do, they were caught staring at each other for more than a few minutes, she couldn't exactly stick around and have a chat. Even if that was what they both needed to do most of all. Ever since she had broken off the engagement to Pete she had needed to sit down and talk about their situation. But it seemed like every time they were about to talk someone would interrupt them, she needed to catch him while they were both off base, it seemed like the only way they would actually manage the whole conversation.

Jack was really confused. Usually this would be ok with him but this was about Carter and not some techno babble she was spouting that he had no chance in understanding. When it came to Carter (techno-babble not included) he wanted to understand what was going on around him. He had been stood there with her and the next thing he knew he was stood there with another SF holding some papers he most likely didn't need to know about. He wanted to see her, but of coarse this was no new feeling to him, in-fact this had become as normal to him as breathing. He was now accustomed to wanting to be near her, to touch her and love her like she deserved. He also knew that he could only hope to be able to do those things without him leaving the SGC. His need to be in the SGC was becoming a lot smaller than the need to be around her.

He would just have to settle for being able to see her every other day for now until the opportunity presented itself. Jack got up from his big generals chair and made his way to her lab In hopes of finding her stuck in her work so he could just walk in and sit down without having to explain his reason for being there, just like he normally did really.

By the time he made it to her office she was indeed stuck in a stare at some strange piece of alien technology that he didn't even want to try and guess as to the purpose of it. He walked in as quietly as possible finding another use for his black ops training sneaking up on you're 2IC who just happens to be the woman you're in love with and don't want to alert to you're presence at risk of having to have the talk maybe they should have that in the black ops instruction manual.

He let out a small, childish giggle at his own stupidity, cutting it short when he remembered the reason, for his stupid thoughts in the first place was sitting just short of two metres away from him.

To his surprise she didn't even flinch at the disturbance. He carefully walked round to her side of the desk only to be swung at when he accidentally knocked her chair.

Carter had never expected to be pulled out of her thoughts and now be touching noses with the very reason for her daydreaming. He was now holding the arm that she had just swung at him against his chest and the other arm high in the air above her head; they were well beyond invading each others personal space. Their lips were mere centimetres away and they seemed to be getting closer with each passing breath that they seemed to be sharing at the moment.

She locked eyes with him, they both knew what they were about to do and for some reason all that mattered were the last few centimetres between them.

He dipped his head further until their lips were finally touching in a heart stopping, earth shattering kiss that neither of them wanted to end. Carter let out a small moan as his tongue grazed against her bottom lip asking for entrance which she all too willingly granted. Their tongues danced with all the sexual tension of waiting for nine years. Jacks hand slid down her arm to her hip and had been joined moments later by the other.

Her hands were now playing with the hair on the back of his neck running her fingers through the short strands, like she had been tempted to do so many times before. After a few moments oxygen became an issue and they reluctantly pulled apart locking eyes and pleading with the other to do that again.

They obliged and lean in to each other, one of Jacks hands made it's way to her lower back and pulled her up against his chest as the kiss became more and more passionate and there touches once innocent now became more desperate. Not seeming to get quite close enough to the other as they so desperately needed.

As one kiss tuned in to two and two into three, they both new if they carried on they would discover a new use for her desk. They both pulled away at the same time gasping for air, hands still placed in usually forbidden places. They both looked up into each other's eyes sending a silent message of understanding; a smile appeared on both their faces as they absorbed what had just happened. Jack being the first one to recover from the shock that he had just totally kissed Carter, pulled her to him again but this time leaning his forehead against hers as they both paused to take in the moment. Sam was the first one to speak "Jack" the person in question was to busy being shocked at her using his given name yet again to answer. "Jack…are you ok?"

Jack pulled his head away from hers and looked her straight in the eye

"Yehsureyoubetcha" Sam smiled at his goofy ways and struggled to hold in a giggle. When she looked back up at jack he was watching her with the most loving look she had ever seen. "What?"

Jack's smile grew when he realised he had been caught watching again but this time he didn't have to lye about why. "I'm just happy that's all" Sam's face took on a seriousness but kept the smile "me too" she said. They both carried on looking into each other's eyes for another moment until they both leaned in for another kiss. This time the kiss was less desperate but still full of passion, the kiss was calm and gentle as if they both found peace with the contact, like a cure for an illness they had been suffering from for years.

When they both pulled away Sam still had her eyes closed, when she finally opened them she saw jack with the same goofy smile as before. Jack was happy; he couldn't believe it, he was stood in her lab with her in his arms and he had just been kissing her. He could get used to this, and then it dawned on him that they may not be able to do this again, and his face dropped, the smile disappearing all too soon.

"I know that face, what is it?" Jack looked down and saw her worried face. "Its nothing I was just thinking" Jack looked down at the floor "you know…" Jack sentence was cut short by Sam "don't make any smart jokes I know you're a lot smarter than you let on" her tone of voice left no room for argument.

Jack looked down at her and let out a small chuckle "I suppose you really do know me"

Sam looked him straight in the eye "yeah I do and you better believe it" Sam reached up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick loving kiss on his lips. "We can do this you know… we just have to find a way around the regulations"

Jack looked down at her again "Oh is that all" he joked in a lighted hearted tone. She tried to frown as he mocked her statement but found she couldn't resist his childish humour. Returning to seriousness again he added "believe me I've tried, that's why I'm going to give old general George a call"

Sam looked down at where her hand was still stroking his abdomen "And say what… what can he do?" Sam's voice sounded worried.

"Well he rang me the other day and said something about him wanting to retire to spend more time with his two grand daughters"

"What does that have to do with us?" Jack moved one of his hands from her lower back up to her jaw bone. "Well he said if I might want his job to remove a few problems" Sam's grip on his shirt tightened.

"But that's in Washington" Jack started stoking her jaw to try and calm her down.

"I know it might be a bit tricky but it does remove that certain problem we have"

"Yeah it does but you will have a desk job, and you would never be able to come through the gate with me, Daniel and Teal'c ever again and…you'll be living in Washington"

"I know but my knee has been giving me trouble and it wouldn't be that bad and it would be worth it"

"But…" before Sam could protest any more Jack's lips were covering hers. At first Sam showed signs of protest but eventually she melted in his arms wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer, responding to his kiss in every way. When they pulled apart Sam had her eyes closed and Jack's grin was even bigger than before. "You can't just kiss me every time you want me to shut up you know" her words were said through gasps. Even though this was sad with slight seriousness Jack knew she loved every minute of it. "Oh but I have other ways"

At that Sam's eyes opened and a small smile grew on her face. "Do you really?"

"Yes I do but you are going to have to wait to find out what they are" a pout appeared on Sam's face.

"How long?" Jack thought he was going to die of happiness.

"You know you're very cute when you pout"

"So I'm told" Sam declared sounding quite pleased with her self.

Jack turned serious for a moment. "I'll give George a call when I get back to my office and I can come round tonight and tell you what he said…if that's ok with you"

Sam looked around her office as if checking to see if she had work to do. "That should be ok, come at around…" she looked down at her watch to check the time. "Eight?"

Jack started to back away. "Yeah that will be fine" Jack took another step towards the door, but before he reached the door he was swung round by his wrist, Sam reached up and gave him a quick kiss, wondering if she could wait till eight to see him again.

"I could get used to that" he whispered. Sam reluctantly let go of his wrist and smiled as he backed away towards the door.

Just as jack turned the corner into the corridor he heard her shout back. "Good".

Jack stopped for a minute the grin on his face reaching painful levels, and then carried on walking down the corridor towards his office.

Desk jobs definitely had their advantages he thought with a smile.

(AN) You like? I always thought that the reason for Jack taking such a… desk job should have been explained. We all know it was for Sam. I mean come on why else?

You know the drill, review if you will 


End file.
